


quit milling around the yard and come inside

by swordgay



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Ending, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Established Relationship, Fix-It, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, POV Second Person, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), everything is fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 21:57:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18600187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swordgay/pseuds/swordgay
Summary: contains endgame spoilers.he’s the love of your fucking life and you realise you’re finally ready to be selfish for once. the world has enough heroes.





	quit milling around the yard and come inside

**Author's Note:**

> once more with feeling: don't read this if you haven't seen endgame! this contains spoilers! 
> 
> title from siken's litany in which certain things are crossed out.

you wake up and your mouth tastes like ash. there’s dirt on your palms from falling on the damp soil, but you’re weirdly thankful for the solid earth. sam pulls you up, says “come on, bud,” and points to what looks like a portal wrapped in a ribbon of fire. you follow. 

his voice crackles in your ear the second you cross the magical threshold; clear and tired and whole. you ache like it’s been a hundred years since you last heard it, and in between punches he informs you that for him it’s been five. you want to run into his arms, but you can’t, so instead you fight.

the battle feels like it lasts a lifetime, but eventually, it dies down. you sit with him while he gets patched up, disinfect his wounds and bandage a bullet hole in his arm; you’ve done this so many times before that it’s muscle memory by now. he’s tired, and you know him like the back of your hand, but this isn’t a tiredness you’ve seen before. it’s heavier, like it’s settled in between his ribs and made a home for itself where you used to be. 

he collapses later, when you’re finally alone in a safe-house; you’re standing in the kitchen when he takes your head in both of his hands and sobs resting his forehead against yours. “it was hell without you,” he tells you, open and honest, because he’s always worn his heart on his sleeve. “i’m here now,” you reassure him. “i’m never going anywhere ever again, steve.” it’s a promise you intend to keep for as long as you both live. 

he sleeps with his head on your chest, and in the faint glow of the bedside lamp you can see his battle scars, already healing but still raw. he’s the love of your fucking life and you realise you’re finally ready to be selfish for once. the world has enough heroes. 

you’ve been in bed with each other plenty over multiple lifetimes, but it’s never been this desperate. he kisses you like it’s your last night on earth and you grab onto him like he’s a life raft and you’re drowning. he doesn’t have to tell you that he spent the last five years not sleeping with anyone else; you know. you love him and he loves you and you fuck multiple times in a row.

it’s only a couple of weeks until he has to go back in time again to replace the stones. you watch him suit up while you drink your coffee after the wake is over, your jaw clenched and shoulders tense. “i’ll only be gone a minute,” he tells you before he steps onto the platform to leave, and he’s right. he’s back not even thirty seconds later, tired and winded but alive. 

he kisses you before he’s even said a word to anyone else. “okay,” he whispers against your lips,”i’m ready”. you don’t have to ask him what he means — you know. 

it takes some convincing, but sam takes the shield. he understands. steve leaves you two to talk and you sit by the river with the shield in between you. “what are you two going to do?” he asks. you smile. “don’t know yet,” you chuckle, “move to the suburbs somewhere. get a dog, maybe.” sam smiles that smile you’ve learned means he’s about to be a smart-ass, so you raise your eyebrows at him. “if you don’t invite me to the wedding i’m beating you up.” 

you pick out a house in the suburbs of san francisco, a few blocks from where scott lives. you both need a fresh start away from battles and back alley fights and this feels like as good a place as any. your mailbox says barnes-rogers and you watch the sun rise over the golden gate bridge in the distance on the first morning after you move while he makes questionable pancakes. 

he comes up behind you and kisses your neck, and after seventy years, you’re at peace. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i'd love to know what you thought of this <3


End file.
